"What?! No way!" a pirate screamed in pure terror.
"Mama's Emperor Sword... it was just blocked!" another shouted, his voice cracking with disbelief.
"How is that even possible?! She's a Yonko!"
Every single member of the Charlotte Family who witnessed this scene was frozen in place, their faces twisted into masks of pure shock. Even Katakuri, the strongest of the Sweet Commanders, and Smoothie were completely aghast. They had always known Takuro possessed strength that defied logic, but to so casually block a full-power, rage-filled slash from Charlotte Linlin? It was a feat that completely exceeded their comprehension of combat. This wasn't just a difference in training or Haki; it felt as though his power originated from an entirely different dimension!
Charlotte Linlin's enormous, bloodshot eyes suddenly constricted. For the first time in decades, an expression of genuine disbelief flickered across her weathered face. However, her pride as one of the Four Emperors was not so easily broken. Instead, her ferocity was completely ignited, turning her shock into a murderous, white-hot rage!
"You damn brat!!!" she bellowed, her voice shaking the very foundations of the castle. "Ikoku Sovereignty!!!"
She no longer held anything back. Napoleon, her sentient bicorne-turned-blade, grew to an immense size. Mimicking the legendary spear techniques of the Giant Race from Elbaph, she gathered every ounce of her monstrous physical strength and Conqueror's Haki. She launched a terrifying assault capable of piercing through an entire nation! A massive, condensed shockwave erupted from the blade, looking like a spear designed to pierce both heaven and earth. It carried an overwhelming momentum that promised absolute destruction as it blasted toward Takuro once again!
This time, Takuro finally decided to move—if only slightly.
He subtly shifted his right foot back half a step to stabilize his stance. Still using only his right hand, he clenched his fingers into a tight fist and pulled his arm back. With a motion that looked deceptively simple, he struck out directly at the incoming "Ikoku" shockwave!
There was no black coating of Armament Haki visible on his skin. There was no use of any flashy or named techniques. It was just an exhibition of pure, ultimate power and blinding speed!
Boom!!!!!!
The moment his fist made contact with the shockwave, time itself seemed to freeze for a single frame.
Immediately after, under the stunned gaze of Charlotte Linlin and her children, the "Ikoku" shockwave—a move said to be able to level islands—began to crack. Starting from the exact point of contact with the fist, it shattered like fragile glass. Then, with a deafening rumble, it burst apart completely! The attack transformed into a chaotic mess of raw energy turbulence, sweeping in all directions. The banquet hall was instantly turned into a disaster zone of flying debris and shattered masonry!
But Takuro's punch wasn't finished. With undiminished force, the air pressure from the strike hit Charlotte Linlin's massive body from a distance like an invisible giant hammer!
"Ugh... ah—!!"
Charlotte Linlin let out a pained and furious grunt. Her robust physique, famously known as the "Iron Balloon" for its ability to withstand naval cannon fire without a scratch, reacted as if it had been struck head-on by a high-speed sea train. Her huge body staggered uncontrollably backward.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Each retreating step she took left deep, spider-webbing cracks in the specially reinforced floor. Finally, her back crashed heavily into her giant throne. The impact was so great that the massive backrest of the throne shattered into a thousand pieces!
The entire hall fell into a dead silence.
You could have heard a pin drop on the carpet.
The children of the Charlotte Family stood like statues. They stared, dumbfounded, at their mother. They had always regarded her as an invincible demon god, a force of nature that no mortal could challenge. Yet, her two proudest and most powerful attacks had been effortlessly neutralized in a single encounter. Worse yet, she had been struck so miserably by the mere shockwave of an opponent's punch!
Is this real? Can a member of the Human Race really do this? they wondered in silent terror.
Katakuri's face beneath his thick scarf turned ashen. His Observation Haki was active, but the fragments of the future he saw were filled only with despair. Smoothie's hand, which was tightly gripping her spiral sword, began to tremble slightly as she realized the scale of the monster standing before them.
Takuro slowly retracted his fist and shook his wrist, looking remarkably bored.
"Tsk. It seems you're not much stronger than Kaido after all," he remarked. His crimson pupils locked onto Charlotte Linlin. She had barely managed to stabilize herself, her face a chaotic mix of shock, anger, and a newfound, unbelievable fear. "Is this really your full power? How truly... disappointing."
He began to walk forward, one slow step at a time. A faint, golden Ki aura began to emanate from his body, flickering like a flame. The temperature in the entire castle hall started to rise rapidly, and the air itself began to twist and shimmer due to the intense heat. That terrifying aura felt like an ancient beast finally waking from a long slumber. It was so intense that even Charlotte Linlin felt a tremor of fear from the very depths of her Soul!
"It seems the warm-up can end early," he said coldly.
Takuro's figure instantly vanished from where he stood!
In the next second, he reappeared directly in front of the Yonko. The huge size difference between them—the towering woman and the smaller man—created a jarring and powerful visual impact.
"After taking so many hits from you, it's only fair that I return the favor," Takuro said, his voice low and dangerous. "If you can still stand and speak after taking this move, I'll admit you're qualified to negotiate with me."
He brought his hands together at his waist, cupping them. Dazzling white light began to converge madly between his palms. The sheer amount of destructive energy being gathered caused the sky over all of Whole Cake Island to change color. Dark clouds swirled into a vortex, and bolts of lightning began to dance wildly across the horizon!
"Try not to die, old hag."
A blinding, incandescent orb of light erupted from his hands. It carried a terrifying power that felt as though it could annihilate everything in existence. Like a falling sun, the energy blast surged toward Charlotte Linlin, who was already within his reach!
Time seemed to stretch infinitely in that moment.
The orb, compressed to its absolute limit, exuded an aura of pure destruction. In the palm of Takuro's hand, it became the sole focus of the shattered banquet hall. The light was so intense that the weaker members of the Charlotte Family had to shield their eyes, fearing their retinas would be scorched. The heart-stopping fluctuations of the energy caused space itself to wail and distort, emitting a high-pitched humming sound under the unbearable strain.
In Charlotte Linlin's huge pupils, the shadow of death was clearly reflected for the first time in her long life. It wasn't just the threat she had felt in previous battles against other Yonko. This was a primal scream of terror, originating from the very instinct of life itself! She could feel from that energy that this was not something Haki or Devil Fruit abilities could simply block. This was absolute destruction on an entirely different level!
"Damn it—!!!" she screamed.
The instinct for survival finally overwhelmed her pride. She let out a roar that sounded nearly insane.
Zeus, her thundercloud, desperately gathered every scrap of lightning to form a thick shield in front of her. Prometheus, the sun homie, burned his very life force to unleash the fiercest flames possible to counteract the incoming energy. Even Napoleon pushed her Conqueror's Haki to its absolute limit, positioning itself as a final barrier!
However, all these struggles seemed pale and powerless against the light.
The wild smile on Takuro's lips widened, and he suddenly pushed his clasped hands forward!
"Boom—!!!!!!!!!"
It wasn't just a sound anymore; it was the lament of the world being torn apart!
The incandescent pillar of light swallowed everything in its path. Zeus's lightning shield melted away like ice under a summer sun. Prometheus's flames were forcibly suppressed and snuffed out in an instant. Even Napoleon's top-tier Haki coating shattered like thin parchment!
The pillar of light, now completely unobstructed, struck the very center of Charlotte Linlin's massive body!
"Ugh... ah... ahhhhh!!!"
She let out an unprecedented shriek, a sound mixed with extreme pain and total despair. Her tough body, the legendary "Iron Balloon," visibly caved in. Her skin charred and carbonized under the relentless scour of the energy!
The destructive force didn't just damage her physical form; it seemed to burn her very Soul. The powers of her Soul-Soul Fruit fluctuated violently within the storm. Dozens of nearby Homies let out their final wails as they dissipated like bubbles, returning to their basic soul fragments only to be completely pulverized by the residual energy of the blast.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion